Vending-machine.



No. 757,993. PATENTED APR. 19, 1904. D. 0. COLEMAN 6: A. SHEPARD.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1902.

no 101331.. 2 SHEEN-5113M 1.

No. 757,993. PATENTED APR. 19, 1904. D. 0. COLEMAN &- A. SHEPARD.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1902.

no MODEL. 2 sums-sum a.

UNITED STATES Patented April 19, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

DORR O. COLEMAN AND AMOS SHEPARD, OF SOUTHINGTON, CONNECTICUT; SAIDSHEPARD ASSIGNOR TO SAID COLEMAN.

VENDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,993, dated April19, 1904.

Application filed November 5, 1902. Serial No. 130,134. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, DORR O. COLEMAN and Arms SHEPARD, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Southington, in the county of Hartford andState of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Vending-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a vending-machine in which the effectiveconnection between the operative plunger and the slide that releases themerchandise is mechanically made by means of a coin.

The object is the production of a machine of this nature which will notoperate when slugs are introduced instead of coin, which will returncoin, so that they may be recovered if the merchandise is exhausted orif the mechanism is inoperative, and which will clear the coin-passageof foreign matter, such as matches, toothpicks, paper, and the like.Coin inserted through the slot in the case of the machine that isillustrated drop upon a pivotally-hung trough that carries a magnet andis connected with a plunger. Good coin slip down the trough into achannel in the slide and so lodge that the plunger when pushed inencounters the coin and forces the slide back and causes it to push apackage from an opening in the bottom of the merchandise-receptacle. Ifthere is no coin in the channel when the plunger is pushed in, the slideis not moved, but the trough is oscillated. If a bogus coin has beenretained by the magnet or other means or if foreign matter is caught inthe trough, it is knocked off into a pocket by an arm when the trough isoscillated and does not pass into the channel in the slide. Above themerchandise is a follower that is arranged to engage and retain theslide in its rear position after the last piece of merchandise has beenpushed out. This holds the trough tilted, and coin then inserted throughthe slot will not pass into the channel in the slide or into theslug-pocket, but drop down in front, where a package of merchandisewould ordinarily be deposited.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a vertical section of thisvending-machine with the operating mechanism shown in side elevation.Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the operating mechanism, showingthe parts in their normal positions and a coin in the channel in theslide back of the plunger. Fig. 3 is a similar View with the plungerpushed in and the slide pushing out the last package of merchandise, theparts being in the positions which they will occupy after all of themerchandise has been removed from the receptacle. Fig. 4 is a plan viewof the operating mechanism. Fig. 5 is a vertical-section showing thetrough tilted and a slug about to be knocked off into the slug-pocket.

The case 1 may be formed of any suitable material to any desired shape.The merchandise-receptacle 2 is supported withinthe case by brackets 3in a common manner. This receptacle is open at the bottom, so thatpackages of merchandise may be pushed out in the usual way. In thereceptacle above the merchandise is a follower 4:, with aclownwardly-projecting lug-.5.

WVhen the packages of merchandise are pushed out from the bottom of thereceptacle one by one, they drop into the channel 6 and slide down tothe opening 7 -at the bottom of the front of the case. V

The operating mechanism is supported by a frame 8, that is secured tothe case by any suitable means. The .plunger 9 is movable in and outthrough perforations in the frame. A spring 10 normally draws theplunger toward the front. The inner end of the plunger extends into anopening in a slide 11. This slide has a vertical channel 12 and arearwardly projecting arm 13 at the top. In front of the slide and abovethe plunger is a pocket 14:. In front of the pocket is a shield 15.Pivotally held by arms 16, that project fromthe top of the frame, is atrough 17. The upper end of this trough is beneath the slot 18 in thefront of the case, so that coin thrust through the slot will bedeposited in the trough when in its normal position. The lower end ofthe trough extends downwardly nearly to the top of the vertical channelthrough the slide. A link 19 connects the trough with an arm 20, thatextends upwardly from the plunger, so that when the plunger is pushed inthe trough is tilted. Thelower end of the trough is slotted, andattached to the under side of the trough of the machine shown is amagnet 21. Extending rearwardly from the frame below the middle of thetrough is an arm 22.

When a good coin, as a copper cent, is inserted through the slot anddrops onto the trough, it slips down past the magnet into the channel inthe slide and is lodged back of the plunger by the pin 23,that projectsrearwardly from one side of the bottom of the slide. If the plunger isnow pushed in, it engages the coin and push es the coin and sliderearwardly, so that the arm 13 will push the lowest package ofmerchandise from the receptacle and allow it to drop into thedischarge-passage. If there is no coin in the channel of the slide, theplunger when pushed in does not move the slide. .When the slide has beenmoved in sufliciently far to push a package of merchandise from thebottom of the receptacle, the coin is carried beyond the end of thelodging-pin and drops into the coin-tray 24. The slide returns to itsnormal position when the pressure on the plunger is released.

.plunger.

If a slug or bogus coin of iron or steel is inserted through the slot,it is retained in the trough by the magnet until it is knocked of]? bythe arm that projects from the frame, when the trough is tilted by thepushing in of the A slug knocked off in this manner drops into theslug-pocket and does not pass into the channel,so that the slide will bemoved by the plunger. Toothpicks, matches, paper, and similar substancesinserted through the slot onto the trough will be knocked ofi in asimilar manner.

When the last package of merchandise is thrust out of the receptacle bythe arm 13, the lug 5 at the lower end of the follower drops into theopening 25 and holds the arm so that the plunger cannot move forward toits normal position. This indicates that the receptacle is empty, andwhen the plunger is held in this manner the trough is tipped so thatcoin inserted through the slot in the case will drop past the trough andslide down the shield in front of the mechanism into thedischargetrough, where it may be recovered.

If the mechanism should become disarranged or the spring that draws theplunger forward should become broken and the trough were tipped up, coininstead of passing into the machine would drop out where they could berecovered. 1

But one mechanism has been described. Of course this mechanism could beduplicated, if desired. In fact, machines of this nature usually havethree sets of these mechanisms side by side in a single case. That areceptacle is empty is indicated to a customer, although if the fact isnot observed he does not lose his coin. The mechanism is simple anddurable and not likely to get out of repair and could be used withoutthe magnet.

We claim as our invention- 1. A check-controlled apparatus for avending-machine having an oscillating trough, a magnet attached to andmovable with the trough, a plunger connected with and adapted tooscillate the trough at each reciprocation, a slide with a verticalchannel adapted to be connected with the plunger through the medium of acoin, and mechanism which when the trough is tilted projects into thetrough and removes articles retained therein, substantially asspecified.

2. A check-controlled apparatus for a vending-machine having anoscillating coin-trough, mechanism for oscillating thetrough, means forretaining blanks therein, and mechanism which when the trough isoscillated projects into and removes from the trough articles retainedtherein, substantially as specified.

DORE O. COLEMAN. AMOS SHEPARD.

Witnesses:

MARCUS H. HoLcoMB, THOMAS F. WELcH.

